Introduction: A New Vision for System Change
At the Achieving Success Convening in Providence, Rhode Island, one message echoed across every session: young people with lived experience must be at the center of change in order to improve child welfare. Among them was Brina Willams (They/Them), a Lived Experience (LEx) Leader who spent 3 years in Michigan’s foster care system, and whose leadership and insight helped launch one of the nation’s most important youth-centered resources the Improving Outcomes for Young Adults and the Systems That Serve Them: A Playbook of Best Practices.

The Playbook: From Idea to Impact
The Playbook, created by Youth Villages in partnership with FosterClub and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), serves as a roadmap for transforming how systems support young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood. Brina was part of the original LEx cohort that co-designed the Playbook, ensuring every principle was rooted in lived experience. It calls for policies built on trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment, reminding leaders that lasting success means listening to and partnering with young people.

Youth Leadership in Action
During the convening, Brina joined three other LEx Leaders on a panel facilitated by April Curtis, CEO of Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA). The conversation was honest, emotional, and forward-thinking, emphasizing that support cannot stop when youth leave care. “We shouldn’t just be preparing to leave care,” Brina shared. “We should be preparing to thrive.” Their words captured the Playbook’s spirit: young people need not just services, but relationships and community to succeed.

The Convening: Elevating Solutions
Hosted by Youth Villages, the convening brought together national partners, state leaders, and advocates to advance the Playbook’s goals. Sessions focused on using data and evidence to drive better outcomes through programs like LifeSet™ and Intercept®, which provide personalized, evidence-based support for transition-age youth. Throughout, LEx Leaders like Brina reminded attendees that real impact happens when systems shift from doing work for youth to doing it with them, a core principle of the Playbook’s “nothing about us without us” approach.

Conclusion: A Call to Continue the Work
The Achieving Success Convening was more than an event; it was a milestone in elevating youth voice as a driver of national reform. Through leaders like Brina, the Playbook continues to inspire collaboration across public and private sectors, proving that meaningful change begins when young people help shape the systems meant to serve them.

Check out the Playbook press release here to learn more about its vision for youth-centered system change.